A Hole in My Soul
by livingdeadblondegirl
Summary: Caroline's father is the alpha of a large pack and though she grew up knowing she would always be stuck in Mystic Falls with her pack, she rebelled as much as she could, wanting a normal life, especially the going away to college part. But when she is called home, she is reminded of what she was running from, not just pack life but her mate.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Lovelies! As you can see, I have a new little story here. If you follow me on tumblr, this is not the one I have been talking about in the past. This one came about after I did the Klaroline Secret Santa and felt I needed to add more to it afterwards. My intentions are for it to be a three part oneshot.  
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**Thanks to Klarolineepiclove, jomofamilyjewels (Gorgeous cover!), and klovec for their help with this. **

Part One

"Caroline."

Caroline froze halfway across her lawn at the sound of her name. Not only because someone had called out to her, but because of whom the voice belong to; she hadn't heard in almost a year and a half. Five hundred and seven days to be exact if you were keeping track, not that she was. Okay, maybe she was. Why wouldn't she? After all it was how long it had been since Caroline packed up her car and headed off to college, leaving behind everything she had ever known. The town she grew up in, her friends, her pack, her parents, and...him. Had her father not told her in no uncertain terms that her chair at the table would not be empty again this Christmas, she would not have returned now with her tail between her legs. She had had no choice; her father's word was law, pack law.

"Klaus, hi." Caroline said as she turned around, putting a small forced smile on her face while internally cursing her luck. She hoped to avoid seeing him for as long as possible, which of course meant that she would run into him within hours of her arriving back in town.

"Hello love," Klaus replied, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Um, how are you? You look good," she commented, cringing as she did. Had she really just said that? More often than not, Caroline said the first thing on her mind before she could stop herself. Bonnie had said she lacked a filter and this was definitely one of those circumstances where she wished she had one. Not that her statement wasn't true, Klaus did look good though, actually good was an understatement. She wasn't sure how it was possible but his shoulders that were currently covered under a dark blue Henley seemed wider, his eyes bluer, his curls a bit longer and he seemed to have gotten more handsome since she'd been gone.

All of which she wanted to use as an excuse for the sudden heat Caroline felt throughout her body but she knew she'd be lying to herself. Simply being near him again was the cause of that, her wolf recognizing him instantly despite being apart for so long and she could feel her trying to push Caroline to get closer but she fought against it.

She watched as one of Klaus' eyebrows arched in disbelief at her question. "'You left without a goodbye, refused to talk to me for over a year and that's the first thing you say?"

"I was trying to be polite," Caroline replied, laughing nervously. "I see that you're still as blunt as always."

"When have either one of us ever not been?" Klaus retorted.

"With the way Daddy has been talking you up, I thought you might have picked up a few bits of tact under his tutelage,"

She declared. While she hadn't spoken to Klaus since she left, he had been the subject of many conversations between Caroline and her father, mostly her dad singing Klaus' praises.

"Well Bill might be a good Alpha, but he isn't a miracle worker."

Caroline couldn't help but let out an unladylike snort at the truth behind his statement. Even someone like her father would be unable to change Klaus if Klaus didn't want to be changed. However, if he was going to take over as Alpha for her father someday, like he planned, he would need some diplomacy. Of course, thinking of Klaus learning from her father reminded Caroline exactly why he was in that position —Well without having physically challenged her father to a death match— and she became tense again.

"Though he did manage to finally get you to return home so perhaps I am underestimating him."

She heard Klaus add a smirk on his face and his voice teasing with a hint of spite mixed in, causing her nervousness to be replaced by irritation. However before she could give any kind of comeback, they were interrupted when a car stopped at the end of the drive, the driver being one of the last people Caroline wanted to see.

"Everyone said you were back in town, but to be honest, I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes," Greta stated as she got out of the car and made her way towards the two of them. "The prodigal princess returns."

"Only for a visit," Caroline grumbled. She hated when people called her that, and Greta knew it. She was the one who started it after all when they were in grade school. For some reason Greta had never liked her, and made it known. Of course she couldn't outright pick on the daughter of the Alpha after all but she could still torment her in some ways.

"I know your parents missed you and some of the rest of the pack too. I don't know about everyone, though," Greta commented, a sly smile appearing on her face as she brought her hand up to grasp Klaus' arm, an indicator of just who she meant.

At the sight of the other she-wolf touching Klaus in such a familiar way, Caroline's wolf bristled and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from growling in challenge. '_Mine,' _she thought before she shoved the thought away and regained control. But not before Greta noticed her reaction, her smile expanding to a full fledge grin.

"We should be going, only a few hours before nightfall and much to do," Klaus said suddenly, breaking up the face-off between the women.

"Right, we wouldn't want to be late for tonight's hunt. What with it being a welcome home for Caroline and all," Greta stated as Klaus led her back to her car. He opened the driver side door for her to slide in before making his way back to the passenger side, glancing at Caroline as he did.

"Until tonight, sweetheart."

OOOOOOO

**_Almost Three Years Ago_**

_Caroline had just reached the top of the winding staircase when her ears picked up the distinctive rumbling of a motorcycle coming up the driveway. The sound was not foreign to Caroline; her cousin Stefan had one but the engine noise sounded different which meant it was not him coming to visit so it must be someone looking for her parents, probably her father to be specific. Caroline was still thinking over who in town it could be, when the front door bell rang. Not seeing anyone waiting around the foyer or rushing out from other rooms, she took it upon herself to open the door._

_The person on the other side of the door was not a local, human or wolf, that she knew for a fact. She definitely would have noticed him if he had been, just as any other woman in town would have. If the tall sinewy built body wrapped in the black leather jacket, blue eyes or ruby red lips didn't make him memorable, the dimples that came out when those lips curved into a smirk certainly would. A small gust hit just then, ruffling his dark blonde curls and giving Caroline a whiff of his scent, definitely a wolf. _

_Realizing she was staring, she cleared her throat before asking, "Can I help you?"_

_"__I hope so, love," the unfamiliar wolf replied, his accent surprising but definitely not unwelcomed. "I was told that I could find William Forbes at this address."_

_"__You must be Klaus." Caroline heard her father say as he came up behind her. "Alaric said you should be arriving sometime today."_

_"__That would make you William Forbes?" 'Klaus' asked. _

_"__It would. Bill actually," Bill acknowledged as he looked the younger male up and down, obviously determining if he was a threat. Something he saw told him he wasn't and Bill smiled welcomingly. "Won't you come in? Sweetheart, don't be rude. Step aside and give our guest some room."_

_Caroline did as she was told, stepping out of the way and opening the door wider to allow Klaus to enter. Everything made sense now as to why a strange wolf would suddenly show up on their doorstep; Alaric Saltzman from the pack south of them sent him. He was a history professor at Duke along with his wife and possessed the largest record of the various packs and histories in the States. So naturally Caroline was curious as to why he sent Klaus to her father. _

_Once everyone was inside and the door was shut, Bill continued with the introductions. "Klaus, this is my daughter, Caroline. Caroline, this is Klaus Mikaelson." _

_"__A pleasure to meet you, Caroline." Klaus said, his eyes locked on hers as he reached out to shake her hand._

_Remembering her manners this time, Caroline smiled cordially and took his hand. However, the moment her fingers touched his calloused ones, an electric current ran through her system, shocking her. Not shocked as if she had just taken clothes from the dryer, this was more how she would imagine touching a live power line or even being struck by lightning. She could see by Klaus' face that he had felt it too. His eyes darted to meet hers and when they did, Caroline felt something else happen. It was as if her senses came alive all at once, as if she had come out of a fog. Just like she had always been told how it would feel when the moment came and you met your mate; yet she had never believed. A part of her had refused to believe that something so large was out of her control._

_Caroline snatched her hand back immediately, causing her father to frown at her, but she didn't care. "Um, it's nice to meet you too."_

_"__Klaus here has been searching the coast for information regarding his father, and according to Alaric, it appears that father could be Ansel Varg," Bill informed her. Caroline recognized the name; he was a former member of the pack that died years ago. However, before her father could say more, the loud shrill of his phone erupted from his pocket. After checking the caller ID, he looked back to the two. "Excuse me, I have to take this."_

_While her father walked out of the room to take his call, Caroline stood uncomfortably in her spot but didn't meet the other wolf's eyes. Unable to stand the awkward silence, she asked. "So how long do you plan to be in Mystic Falls?"_

_"__I do not know, it depends on what information there is for me. A few days perhaps," __Klaus answered, his eyes locked on her face, as if he was drinking every inch of her in. "Perhaps…longer."_

_Ignoring what he was insinuating, that he might hang around town due to her, Caroline simply carried on her line of conversation. "Well there isn't much in the ways of hotels, just the big one off the interstate. Mostly just bed and breakfasts, but you'd probably be more comfortable at my cousins' boarding house. It's not far from here; you might have passed it on your drive."_

_"__I do not recall seeing a boarding house on my way in. Perhaps after I meet with your father, you could show it to me? And maybe the rest of the town?" Klaus asked, his eyebrow rose in question, the smirk back in place. "Of course, I would want to repay the kindness. Possibly with dinner?"_

_Caroline's eyes widened comically in surprised at the invitation. For a moment, she just stared at him and when she did, she noticed the arrogance that oozed off of him. "Wow, please tell me that line doesn't work on all the other girls?"_

_"__Other girls?"_

_"__Yeah, all the human girls and she wolves that you used that line on whenever you roll into a new town?" Caroline explained, getting a bit of enjoyment out of seeing through him even though she also felt a bit of something else at the thought that she was right. "Please, don't try to act like I'm something special here. I've had enough experience with the lone wolves that pass through town to recognize the tactic."_

_Klaus' eyes darkened in anger at her words before he seemed to regain control again, and those red lips in a smile as he moved closer to her, invading her personal space. As he did, warmth flooded her body and she knew that it wasn't solely because of the heat coming off of him. At the same time, his scent enveloped her and she couldn't help but find the combination of motor oil, woodsy wolf musk and something else, intoxicating. His voice was the only thing that pulled her from the trance his scent created on her senses. _

_"__Now Caroline, we both know just how special you are." His voice just above a whisper; his finger curled under her chin to pull her gaze up to meet his. "You cannot ignore what happened moments ago, nor what is happening right now. You know what it means."_

_"__I know what it is supposed to mean. But just because fate has dictated that we are mates, doesn't mean that I'm going to simply drop my panties for you here and now to allow myself to be claimed," Caroline rebutted as she took a step back, away from the daze he had put her in. "If someone wants to be with me, they have to earn it."_

_Spinning on her heel, Caroline walked as calmly as she could towards the back of the house, trying to put some physical distance between herself and Klaus. However, she would not get the last word. _

_"__I'll take that as a challenge," Klaus called out._

**_Love it? Hate it? _**

**_In case anyone is confused, Caroline is the only heir of her father's pack, which is based in Mystic Falls but em compasses all of Virginia. Since she is female, she cannot become alpha, but her husband can (Yes, it's sexist) through succession. Yes, it can be done the old fashion way by force and would be if Caroline's mate was too submissive or another wolf not in her family wanted to be alpha but it is an attempt for them to be move civilized. _**

_**Mystic Falls itself is somewhat a safe haven for their pack, many of the humans that live there know about the wolves, but live in peace with them. Bill has wolves scattered all over his territory, not just in MF, however to ensure the continued strength of the pack, the young wolves are not allowed to leave the territory.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Hello lovelies, sorry it took so long for me to get this updated, excuses are at the end of the part. I will let you know that this is going to be longer than three parts thanks to people asking for it. I hope this part isn't too boring, I'm not completely satisfied with it.****  
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**Thanks to klovec for her support and betaing with this part as well as klarolineepiclove. **

Part Two

A few hours later just as the sky was darkening, Caroline made her way out into the woods behind her house to the clearing where the pack always met for hunts or other gatherings. After her run in with Klaus, she decided to stay close to the house until nightfall. The decision that ended up being a good one since her uncle and cousins came over to see her and have dinner. The meal was enjoyable... well if you didn't include the parts when Damon was badgering her with questions about the 'hot college' girls on campus. It had been good to see them. However, now it was time to be reunited with the pack, the rest of her family.

"Nervous?" Stefan asked.

Caroline continued to stare at the group of gathering wolves as she shook her head, which seemed to amuse Stefan if his laugh was any indication. "You're still a terrible liar."

Huffing in exasperation, Caroline turned to argue with Stefan but before she could get a word out, a mass of blonde hair attacked her, almost knocking her over as she hugged her tight. "Lexi, I'm happy to see you too but I can't breathe."

"Sorry Care," Lexi apologized as she pulled back and released the other blonde, only for Caroline to be pulled into another hug by her friend Bonnie. "Please, she can handle it. It's payback for not visiting sooner."

"Guys, I…" Caroline started to make excuses but Lexi interrupted by grabbing her hand. "Come on, everyone is waiting to see you."

She allowed Lexi to pull her along to join the pack, Caroline' appearance causing a stir in the crowd, just as she always had. Since she had been a young girl, Caroline felt like she was two people in one; the wolf side and the human side. She embraced her wolf, but also wanted to have a normal teenage girl's life and she did everything she could to have it. But of course, like everything else in her life, Caroline had to go above and beyond. Instead of simply being a good student, a cheerleader, or a member of the dance committee, she was one of the top students of her class, cheer team captain and head of almost every social committee there was at school. And whereas others in the pack who had wanted to go to college went to nearby Whitmore, she had chosen one on the border of her father's territory instead. She wanted to be her own person and figure out who she was before she became completely trapped by her birthright as the next Alpha female. Everything she planned had gone perfectly, until the summer of her senior year when a certain motorcycle riding wrench was thrown into her plan.

"Have you talked to him?" Bonnie whispered to her once they had made the rounds.

Snapping her gaze away from the wolf in question, Caroline couldn't help but blush a bit at being caught staring at Klaus. She nodded. "Just for a moment, I ran into him outside of the house."

"And?" Bonnie asked, eyebrow raised as she waited for Caroline to explain more.

"And nothing. We spoke for all of about five minutes at most." She explained.

"That's it? I expected more." Bonnie replied, obviously disappointed by Caroline's answer. "Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised,. If there had been more time, I'm sure the whole town would have heard the two of you."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that Greta interrupted us; she was more than happy to interrupt us." Caroline declared as her gaze drifted to where said shewolf was waiting, not surprisingly near Klaus. Granted in this case, it wasn't just the two of them. Damon was with them, as were a few other wolves that had been a few years ahead of her in school. "So how long have…I mean, has it…"

Getting what her friend was struggling to ask, Bonnie smiled sympathetically. "I'm not really sure, not long, a few months maybe. Everyone was surprised; they just showed up together one night at the Grille. I don't think it is serious though, Care, Luka hasn't told me anything."

"Bonnie, it's okay; I'm the one that left." Caroline stammered through the lie. It wasn't okay, not really, it hurt knowing he was with someone and the wolf in her scratched to come out and rage but she couldn't blame him. Like she told Bonnie, she left him. She deserted her mate; it was natural for him to seek out comfort, no matter how hollow it was. Wolves could be intimate with those who were not their mate, though it was a very poor substitute for the connection mates felt.

Her father's deep voice rumbled across the clearing addressing the pack, but Caroline wasn't paying attention despite the fact that he was talking about her; she was still watching Klaus and his group. It wasn't until she felt Bonnie elbow her that she came back to herself. "What?"

Bonnie just grinned at her wolfishly. "Time to run."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

_Flashback_

_Caroline was having a horrible day, beyond horrible. It had been storming for the last two days, and the night before the storm had gotten so violent that it had knocked out the power. Her phone had not charged. This had meant her alarm had not gone off causing her to be late, and her day had snowballed. She had been driving home when rabbit had darted across the road, which she had swerved to avoid hitting, and her tires had gotten stuck in the mud. Now she was stuck on the side of the road with no phone to call for help; which left her with two options, flag down anyone that came along or turn and run home on four legs, with a side trip to hunt the little furry nuisance that got her into this mess. _

_Deciding that the latter option would be the quickest, Caroline quickly kicked off her muddy sandals and was about to undress when the sound of an engine approaching broke the silence, making her pause. A few moments later, the vehicle appeared and Caroline cursed her repetitive bad luck. _

"_Need some assistance sweetheart?" Klaus asked after killing the engine on his bike and removing his helmet. _

"_Actually, my car thought that it needed a mud bath." Caroline retorted but winced internally at the harshness in her voice. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm just having a really bad day."_

"_Seems like you must have a lot of them then." He replied, and she knew he referring to how she had acted the last time they had seen each other, a week before. She had not crossed paths with him since, despite the size of the town, and she had a feeling that him being the first one to come to her aid was a bit of karma. "I assume you have already rung for aid or a tow company?"_

"_Actually, no." She answered before holding her phone up. "It's dead. I was about to head for home for some help when you came along. Hey, what are you doing?"_

_Klaus looked up at her from where he was squatting down next to her tires. "Looking to see what kind of mess you have here."_

"_You don't have to, if I could just use your phone, I can call for a tow." Caroline declared but her words seemed to fall on deaf ears as he continued to move around the car before gathering some nearby brush. She watched as he worked, shoving branches and such under her back tires for a few minutes before standing again. "Okay love, try it now." _

_Caroline bit her lip as she slid behind the wheel of her car. She didn't think it would work but at this point she would try anything to get out of having to go to her house and explain that she had gotten into this mess after avoiding a bunny. Nevertheless when she pressed on the gas, and her car lurched forward seconds later, she was proven wrong. Once she steered the car so that all four tires were firmly on concrete, Caroline got out of the car to thank Klaus for his help but it died on her lips as soon as she saw him._

_Klaus' gray t-shirt and jeans not to mention his face was covered in mud, splattered she guessed from her tires. As she looked over the damage, she couldn't help but notice how his soaked shirt clung to his chest like a second skin, highlighting the very nice body underneath. She felt a surge of desire rush through her, and her wolf clawing to the surface, wanting to touch, to taste the skin that the clothes covered. Wolves were used to nudity, it was natural but there was something when it was hidden from them that made it more alluring. _

_Realizing she was staring at him, Caroline snapped herself out of her daze. "I am so sorry."_

_Wiping some mud off of his face, Klaus shook his head. "It's just a bit of mud, sweetheart. At least it worked and your car is no longer trapped."_

"_Thank you for that," She said gratefully. "I thought there was no way that I'd be able to get out of there without some major help."_

"_You are welcome. And you'd be surprised at what you pick up on the road when you are on your own." He stated as he began to try and wipe away some of the mud sticking to his skin. _

"_Send me the bill for your clothes, it is the least I can do."_

"_No need for all of that, it is nothing that won't rinse off easily enough in the wash." Klaus declared. _

"_I am trying to repay you for your help but you're not letting me." Caroline grumbled at his stubbornness. "There has to be something."_

_She regretted the words as soon as she saw the grin on his face. "What?"_

"_The laundry facilities are broken at the boarding house so for me to do the wash, I will need to use the one in town, which sounds quite dull and boring. Instead as a thank you, you can keep me company." Klaus explained. "As a way to repay the debt you owe me."_

_Thinking about her reaction to Klaus a few minutes ago, Caroline thought his proposal was a really bad idea. Maybe she could convince him to let her give him the cash or maybe a gift basket of some kind. One with laundry supplies, gift card to the Laundromat, and some snacks, perhaps? However Klaus interrupted her thoughts before she could brainstorm more._

"_Oh, come on. Take a chance, Caroline. Talk to me, spend some time with me to get to know me." Klaus pushed before his lips turned up in a smirk and his eyes took on a look of mischief. "I dare you."_ _Despite herself, Caroline couldn't help but laugh. "What are you twelve? Do you really think that will work?"_ _His smirk grew as he shrugged, "It worked enough that you haven't rejected my proposition yet." _ "_You really just want me to sit with you while you do laundry?" She asked, eyebrow arching in question._ "_I said keep me company, not take up the seat next to me." Klaus declared. "You said that I have to earn the possibility of being with you, I can't do that if I am never around you. I would much rather try to woo you properly, however since you snubbed my offer of dinner before, I am willing to take advantage of any opportunity I can."_ _It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, it was actually what she had planned to say but her brain seemed to forget to tell her mouth that. "Fine."_ "_Fine?" Klaus repeated._

"_Yes, fine. I'll keep you company while you wash your clothes." Caroline stated. "But I am paying for it, no arguments." _

"_I wouldn't dream of it." Klaus said as he held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Now I assume you would like to return home and retrieve your charger so I should expect you at the Boarding House shortly?"_

_Caroline's eyes widened comically. "You want to go now?"_

"_There is no time like the present. I assume you have nothing pending at the moment?" Klaus asked._

"_Well, not really." _

"_Fantastic." Klaus called out as he walked back over to his bike. _

_Caroline watched as he started it up, trying not to think about how good he looked on it, before she went back to her car. Thirty minutes later after grabbing her charger and freshening up, because she too had gotten some mud on her and not because she was meeting Klaus, Caroline picked Klaus up from the Boarding House to head back into town. They rode in silence, which had her on edge. She wasn't used to silence; and this one was more unnerving because of the male wolf in her car. The close proximity to him was doing a number on her, of course it didn't help that he was watching her the whole time, to where she turned off the AC to roll down the window to allow some fresh air. Thankfully the drive wasn't too long and she practically jumped out of the car once she rolled to a stop while Klaus unloaded his clothes, chuckling openly as he did._

_The Laundromat was empty except for the attendant, a human who paid before Klaus led them to some machines on the opposite side of store. As she watched him begin to work, her agitation shifted its focus until she couldn't stay silent. "Stop, you're doing it wrong."_

"_Pardon you love, but I know what I am doing," Klaus countered. "I have been responsible for my laundry for quite some time."_

"_That may be but it doesn't mean you've been doing it right." Caroline argued as she grabbed the clothes away from him and took over, leaving Klaus no option but to take a step back and let her take over. He watched on, an amused smile on his face as she worked. It didn't take her long, he didn't have much to wash, which made sense given that he would have to fit it on his bike._

_Caroline thought that the idea of traveling all over the country, the potential to be in a different place every night, seeing new things, sounded like a little slice of heaven to her. All she had known was her father's territory and her pack, and a few lone wolves here and there much to her chagrin, which was why she had had such a bad reaction to Klaus when she first met him. _

"_I must say, I'm surprised that you know what you're doing there." Klaus commented, earning a glare from her. "I mean no offense; I just know that my sister would rather be caught dead doing laundry."_

"_I wish I had the choice. I've been doing my own laundry since I first turned. In the beginning I wasn't always careful with my clothes and mom said I had to learn." Caroline huffed but the mention of his family made her curious. "So you have a sister?"_

_She watched as his jaw tensed, and something flicker across his eyes before he answered. "Yes, one."_

"_Is she older or younger than you?" Caroline asked._

"_Younger, she's the…baby of the family."_

"_So she isn't your only sibling? How many do you have?" She pushed._

"_Five total."_

"_Wow." Caroline replied. According to her father Ansel had been gone from the pack for several years before Caroline was born, traveling the world to meet with other packs on orders from his alpha. With the arrival of Klaus, it was obvious that he had been quite busy in his absence not relating to business if he met a she wolf and so many offspring. She found it odd that he had left them when he returned to the pack or hadn't relocated. "You guys practically have your own pack." _

"_Perhaps, except for the fact that none of them are wolves." Klaus explained. "My mother, who is human, had an affair with Ansel, and I was a product of that liaison."_

"_Oh." She replied in surprise. "Do they know? About..."_

"_That I am a wolf?" he finished for her and she nodded. "Yes. They found out the same night that I did, the night of my first turn. It wasn't long after, I set out on my own."_

_It wasn't hard for Caroline to read between the lines, his family had not accepted what he was and he had either been shunned or felt like he did not belong with them anymore. Either one had resulted in him being alone, without family nor pack. "That sounds very lonely."_

_Klaus only shrugged before catching her eye. "People think being alone makes you lonely, but that's not true. Being surrounded by the wrong people is the loneliest thing in the world__."_

_Heat blossomed on Caroline's cheeks at his words. There was no doubt in her mind about the meaning behind his words._

**Love it? Hate it? Just so you know I won't be showing every interaction between Klaus and Caroline from the beginning, the next will actually skip a little bit ahead in time.**

**Now for the reasons why it took me so long to update this (for those who don't follow me on tumblr). First, I was brainstorming on how to expand this story, then I was busy with a business trip during which I got a call that my oldest son was being taken to the emergency room. Long story short, he had two seizures within as many hours and received a concussion during the first one. We were at the hospital for a few days but the cause was never determined, and we've been dealing with his recovery. He is fine, but now gets migraines. So everything but him and my family was put on hold for awhile. But now I've been writing again and hope to update much sooner next time. Thanks for your patience. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello my lovelies, here's a slightly longer update to make up for being gone, hope you enjoy.**

**Thanks to Klarolineepiclove and klovec for their betaing skills, and jomosfamilyjewels for my beautiful cover. And a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed or Favorited this story. I love you all.**

Part Three

As she ran on all fours through the woods, Caroline felt a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time. She turned and went for runs by herself while at school but it paled in comparison to how it felt to run through the woods that she grew up in with her pack.

Her father arranged this hunt to mark her homecoming and while she hated the attention, she was enjoying herself greatly. At first she ran alongside Stefan, Bonnie and Lexi but when they ran off to hunt, she continued to roam by herself.

Dehydrated, Caroline took a water break, refreshing herself when she came up to one of the streams. As she drank, Caroline could hear her pack mates moving through the woods, tracking various animals or like Caroline herself, simply relishing the event. So far she had only seen Klaus from a far, and she wondered if she would again at some point.

As if the mere thought summoned him, Klaus appeared from the brush behind her. Caroline wondered if he had been tracking her. She wouldn't be surprised if he had been, considering he didn't look a bit startled to see her there. He moved towards her, his head slightly bowed while he watched her, his eyes the same blue color in wolf form as they were in human, waiting to see if she would bolt at his attention. She wanted to leave but couldn't make herself do it. Not even when he came so close that his coat brushed against hers as he circled her or his nose bumped her muzzle in greeting.

Wolves as a whole were a touchy bunch, so their interaction felt completely natural to her, especially considering who it was. Caroline couldn't deny it, even to herself that she had missed him, which was why she afforded herself a moment of weakness to reciprocate his affections. As she brushed her head against him, she noticed that his tawny coat held the familiar mix of smells that was uniquely Klaus; a scent that made her feel safe. She also noticed that the only scent she could pick up was his, and not of any other wolf, specifically Greta.

Klaus took full advantage of her compliance; rubbing his body and tail against her, nuzzling against her jaw and even being so bold as to give her muzzle a quick lick as he did. It wasn't until she felt him put one of his paws up on top of her neck that she realized what he was really doing. Klaus wasn't just trying to show her attention or show that he might have missed her too, he was marking her; making sure that she was covered in his scent so that anyone who came near her, especially males, would know that she belonged to him. Well that was what he thought.

Turning her head quickly, Caroline lashed out, catching Klaus' leg between her teeth. She didn't bite hard enough to do permanent damage, but hard enough to let him know she wasn't happy, and just in case he didn't get the idea, she followed it with a deep growl. Klaus yelped at the attack, and pulled back though he didn't withdraw completely, letting her know that the understood but that she didn't scare him off. No longer wanting to be near him, Caroline took off, heading back towards her home. Unfortunately, Klaus decided to follow her and stayed on her tail, literally, the whole way.

They both turned quickly, Caroline using her anger to push her body to its limits in an attempt to speed up the process but Klaus still managed to best her, standing tall in front of her as she came back to herself. But if he thought that gave him the upper hand, he was mistaken for the second time that night.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" Caroline yelled, glaring at him. "How dare you mark me like I am yours!"

"Because you are," Klaus snapped back.

"Well I have a feeling your girlfriend might have a bit of an issue with that," she retorted.

"Jealous, sweetheart?" he challenged.

Caroline thought to lie, but she knew he would know it was the moment it left her mouth. However, her silence gave him an answer regardless. "It is eating away at you isn't it? Earlier, I could see the rage burning just underneath, something I recognized because I felt a similar rage when I found out that you were so quick to replace me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused. Caroline racked her brain to try and figure out what Klaus was talking about. Yes, she had gone on dates with guys, very casual dates that never went past the first one, so she had no idea who he was referring to.

"You knew that your father sent wolves to keep an eye on you, did you think the news that you had a new beau would not reach my ears?" She tried to chime in but Klaus didn't let her as he continued his tirade.. "Daniel said he saw you being quite intimate with a fellow classmate, tall lad, short hair, dark skin..."

"Jesse." Caroline said. "Not that I need to explain it to you but Jesse was not a boyfriend. He was a TA that was helping me with classes who became a friend but thought it was something more. He kissed me, which is probably what Daniel saw, but what he didn't see was me pulling away. He is nothing but a friend."

Surprise registered on Klaus' face; he thought that she had so easily replaced him. She couldn't blame him, considering the way things were when she left. "What about Greta, Klaus? Do you care about her?"

"Yes," Klaus answered, and Caroline felt her chest clinch up at the words. "Although not as you believe us to be. We are friends albeit intimate ones, but only friends."

Though she told herself and her friends that she was okay with his association with Greta, Caroline couldn't stop the combination of relief and satisfaction she felt at his confession.

"There is only one person I care about." Klaus stated. "And as much as you might want to ignore things between us, no matter how far away you run, it doesn't change that you are mine Caroline."

Before Caroline could argue back, Klaus was in front of her, so close that she could feel the heat of his body, as well as his breath on her face when he cupped her cheek. "Just as I am yours and have been since the first day we met. You and I are mates."

At his declaration and his touch, Caroline couldn't help but close her eyes while the feeling overtook her. The bond between them felt just as intense as it had before she left, more so possibly due to how long they had been apart and all she wanted to do was wrap herself into it, into him. Only instead of giving in, she pulled back yet before she could turn tail and run; Klaus grabbed her and stopped her escape. "I'm not making it that easy on you love; I'm not letting you run away from me again. Not until you talk to me."

Caroline could see by the look in his eyes how serious he was, his dominance flowing off him in waves, and knew she was stuck. Suddenly very aware of how naked both of them were, and not wanting to have this conversation in that state, she nodded as she said. "Fine, but put some clothes on first. I can't talk to you seriously like this."

A cheeky smile twitched on his full lips at her words. "What's the matter, love? Is my nakedness too much of a distraction for you?"

"As if that were true." Caroline said as she grabbed the first pair of sweats that she thought might remotely fit him and threw them at him while she looked for something for herself to wear. Wolves knew not to wear their favorite clothes on the night of a run; you never knew what might happen to them.

"Wouldn't be the first time, or the second or third…" He trailed off as he pulled the pants on over his long legs just as Caroline pulled a large t-shirt over her head.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Caroline demanded, making sure to keep a little bit of distance between them while also trying to ignore how the sweatpants sat low on his hips.

"I want to talk about you," Klaus explained. "And why you took off without a word to me, waiting until I was out of town for your father instead of talking to me face to face. I never knew you to be a coward Caroline."

Caroline flinched at the words but she couldn't argue because they were true. How she left him had been cowardly. Only because she knew if she faced him then, she probably wouldn't have left. It was something she felt she had to do even though it was one of the hardest things, if not _the _hardest thing she had done in her young life.

Looking into his eyes now, she answered him. "Because I knew if I saw you, you'd try to talk me out of it...and I knew that you would probably succeed. And I needed to get out of this town."

"And away from me." Klaus added.

"Yes, but not the way you are thinking." Caroline admitted. "I was scared."

"What are you so afraid of?"

"You," she answered her voice louder than it needed to be. "I'm afraid of you."

"How could you be afraid of me? I would never do anything to hurt you," Klaus declared.

"Because I never planned to meet the man who was my forever when I was 17!" Caroline said, stunning him at her admission if the look on his face was any indication. Whatever the reason he had come up with in his head, that wasn't one of them. "But there you were and things got so intense between us so fast, my head was spinning. And I saw how the pack looked at us and I knew what they were thinking. With my meeting you, the security of the pack's leadership was ensured and they would expect us to get married as soon as possible and start having kids. It just became too much."

"So being away at school, away from your pack is better?"

"It's...simpler," She replied. "I'm just like every other student and I don't have so much on my shoulders, worrying what people will think if I make the wrong decision."

"But is it better?" he repeated as he reached up to tuck a wild curl behind her ear, invading her space again; she did nothing to stop him. "Are you happy?"

Caroline found that she couldn't reply him, because she didn't know the answer. Was she happy? She enjoyed school, the challenge it gave her and the opportunity to meet new people, try new things but she still felt like a part of her was missing. A part of her that she now felt restored.

"If you have to think about it Caroline, I think that gives you your answer," Klaus reasoned.

"Fine, yes, school isn't perfect either. I don't have the feeling of being smothered but it's also a bit lonely," she admitted. "I have friends and activities, but I feel like I was missing...something."

Klaus didn't need her to explain what that something was, because it was the same way he had felt since she left. "Answer me something else, did it ever cross your mind to ask me if maybe I would want to go with you?"

"Yeah, as if that was a possibility," Caroline scoffed in disbelief, but then she saw the seriousness on his face, her skepticism died. He really would have gone with her if she'd had asked. That bit of knowledge changed everything for her.

"Klaus." She sighed as she met his gaze again, but before she could say more, he closed the distance between them and his mouth descended on hers. His lips were so tender, as they caressed hers that her mind nearly exploded. He paid careful attention to her, taking her bottom lip in his teeth, nipping along gently, then soothing the bites with careful touches.

It was the opposite of what she expected, not rough and passionate but soft and gentle, loving. As if was trying to show her how he still felt and it sadly ended quicker than she wanted it to, causing her to whimper as he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers.

"The pack has become a part of me but they are not my home, that's you," he whispered, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. "All you have to do is say the words Caroline. Ask me to come with you."

Caroline tried to gather her wits out of the fog that Klaus' kiss had put her but before she could, several members of the pack, both in wolf and human form, came crashing out of the nearby tree line effectively breaking the moment. They were all laughing loudly, not aware they had interrupted even as they made their way towards Caroline and Klaus. Caroline opened her mouth to say something but Klaus cut her off. "We can talk more about this later, unless you plan on disappearing in the dead of night again?"

Caroline shook her head, trying not to let the jab bother her too much before saying, "No, Dad wants me here for a few weeks."

Klaus nodded before he let himself be pulled away, leaving Caroline with a lot to think about.

_FLASHBACK_

_"__Caroline, you have to calm down or you are going to make me wreck the car. My dad will lose his shit if I do considering it would be the second car I've totaled since I got my license," Lexi declared._

_"__Third," Bonnie piped in from the back seat._

_"__Hey the Jeep doesn't count. Dad said it wasn't technically totaled. He just said it was so that my mom would let him give me his car so he could buy the Thunderbird," Lexi said, "But seriously Care, you need to chill."_

_"__You don't think I've tried?" she asked. "Every time I think I have things under control, poof he shows up with that incredible body, charming accent, and those damn dimples. Not to mention that when he is near me for longer than a minute, all I can think about is…"_

_"__Him ripping your clothes off and going at it for hours in the woods?" Lexi finished for her, grinning widely when Caroline glared at her. _

_"__Yes." _

_"__Well isn't that how it is supposed to be? Nature's way of ensuring that the species thrives, making sure that the mates desire each other?" Bonnie asked. _

_"__Clearly nature sucks," Caroline grumbled. Since that day at the laundromat, she and Klaus had entered into a friendship of sorts, which had her spending more time with him. Spending that time with him was creating chaos within her, both her hormones and her thoughts as she got to know him._

_Her statement seemed to amuse Lexi, if the chuckle she heard was any indication. "It's not funny, I have plans, I want to live a life away from here, if only for a few years before I'm shoved into something I didn't ask for."_

_"__Getting involved with Klaus doesn't have to mean the end of that," Lexi said as she pulled her car up in front of Caroline's house. _

_After saying good-bye to her friends, Caroline began to make her way to her door when she heard a noise from the side of the house by a set of large bushes. She brushed it off as an animal until she heard it again, this time the hair on the back of her neck rising as her instincts picked up that something was watching her. She turned towards it, letting out a growl when the bushes begin to move but it died in her throat when the culprit made his appearance. _

_The wolf that limped towards her was covered in mud, leaves, and what smelled like blood but she instantly recognized Klaus in his wolf form. She didn't know what had happened to him but he was definitely in bad shape. While it seemed that he was there looking for help, she approached him cautiously. Trying to help an injured regular wolf was a dangerous undertaking, helping an injured werewolf could be deadly. She held her hand out in front of her for him to catch more of her scent as she spoke gently. "It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to look at you and help."_

_After a few more words of encouragement and steps, Caroline's hand brushed against the tip of Klaus' nose gently before moving over his head and down to his leg. Klaus flinched a little at her touch but made no move to stop her explorations, not even whimpering when she found the cause, at least the big one, for his distress._

_"__Oh my god," Caroline exclaimed when her fingers touched what felt like a spike lodged into his side. She wasn't able to see too much of it, only feel the metal made slick by Klaus blood. "We need to get you inside, I'll call Dr. Fell and…"_

_Klaus cut her off by growling, and she whipped her hand away from him before she realized he wasn't growling at her, just her words. He didn't want her calling the doctor. "But we need to get it out of you, if we don't you won't be able to turn and it won't heal. We need the doctor."_

_Her argument was only met with another growl before his muzzle moved under hand, nuzzling it to tell her something that he was unable to vocalize. He wanted her to do it, to pull out the stake. She gulped at the thought while they moved inside. The house was empty, her mother and father were out, she couldn't recall where at the moment. Her thoughts only on what she needed to help Klaus._

_She took him to the large mudroom where her mother kept spare towels for those times when they might come in wet after a run as well as a few other things. She tossed an old blanket on the floor, something Klaus was seemingly grateful for, if the noise he made when he collapsed on it was any indication. _

_After grabbing a few necessities, she kneeled next to him and carefully began to examine him closer. His fur was a mess, matted and wet with blood but it looked like the only injury she could find was the spike. Caroline didn't think it went in too deep, but it needed to come out. It appeared to be just a crude piece of carved wood, something that might have been carelessly thrown away that was until she touched it, and it burned her skin. _

_"__Shit…" She hissed. There was only one thing that would cause that kind of reaction, Wolfsbane. The spike was laced with it and she couldn't believe that Klaus was still conscious with how the poison would weaken him. She quickly moved to clean the area as much as she could, both of the Wolfsbane and blood so that she would be able to grip the wood. Once that was done, she wrapped her hands around it before looking down at Klaus. _

_"__I'm sorry," Caroline whispered. "But this is going to hurt."_

_Moving quickly, she pulled the spike out before she could rethink doing it, ignoring the burning of her skin before tossing it to the side. Klaus let out a loud snarl, snapping his jaws but she ignored him as she used a towel to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. _

_By the time the bleeding stopped, his growls had dropped to a whimper and he lay exhausted on the blood soaked blanket. Caroline simply stroked her hand down his back, trying to comfort him. She knew Klaus turning was the best way for him to heal, speeding up their already accelerated healing capabilities, but it would be extremely hard for him given what he'd been through. "Klaus, it's up to you now." _

_He looked at her as if he was waiting for her to leave, and she probably should have to give him privacy to make the difficult turn but she shook her head. "I'm not leaving, I'll be right here."_

_Relief shown clearly in his blue eyes as he nuzzled her hand; Caroline smiling slightly when she felt his warm tongue as well. The two of them stayed like that for several minutes, Klaus taking comfort from her as he gathered his strength. She was beginning to worry that the injury had been too much for him when she heard the first shifting of his bones. Despite what he'd been through his turn happened quickly, showing a measure of strength only known to alphas, not that she was completely surprised. Alphas were typically mated with other alphas; another of nature's way to help their species survive._

_Taking the only unsoiled blanket, Caroline wrapped it around Klaus' naked form but not before checking on his wound. The skin had closed and had a bright pink appearance, looking as if it was weeks old rather than minutes. Another turn and you would never know it was there aside from a small scar, a souvenir of the Wolfsbane that she had been unable to completely wash away. _

_"__You're going to make me self-conscious love if you keep staring." Klaus teased, his voice only containing the smallest trace of strain as he sat up._

_"__Pfft, not with your ego," Caroline responded with a roll of her eyes. "How do you feel?"_

_"__Better than I felt when I got here," he replied._

_"__Not surprised now that you don't have a stake protruding from your side. Why on earth were you out at Pastor Young's farm? Didn't anyone warn you about it not being a safe place for our kind?" She asked. The humans of Mystic Falls knew the truth about the wolves, and as long as there was no violence, they lived in peace for generations. However, Pastor Young was the exception to that. He believed the wolves were servants of hell and it was his duty to protect the humans from them. Many just ignored him, and stayed away from his land which had been covered with traps, such as spikes coated in wolfsbane, to keep the wolves away._

_"__It wasn't my intention to cross into his territory, I was hunting and didn't realize where I was until it was too late," Klaus answered. "Then all I could think about was getting help."_

_"__The smarter thing to do would be to head into town to Dr. Fell's office," Caroline chastised. "You could have bled out, still could have once you got here. I'm not a doctor." _

_"__I know that," he acknowledged, "But when I was injured, you were the only thing on mind." _

_"__Why?" she asked with bated breath. She had an idea why but she wanted to hear him say it._

_"__Because I might be part of the pack now, but I've been on my own for a long time, and I don't trust anyone enough to be at their mercy," Klaus explained before he caught her gaze. "Except you."_

_"__Klaus…" Caroline sighed, his confession melting her resistance to him away, something that must have shown clearly on her face. He kept his __eyes on hers as he leaned his head down while Caroline raised hers._

_Very gently Klaus pressed his lips to hers. He kept the kiss soft as he moved his other arm around her waist. Caroline responded just as gently to his kiss as her own arms slowly made their way to his shoulders._

_After a moment Klaus pulled back a little, his eyes scanning her face before he captured her lips again. When he ran his tongue over her bottom lip, Caroline couldn't help but moan softly. Encouraged by her response, he parted her lips and tangled his tongue with hers. _

_Caroline growled deep in her throat as she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck and opened her mouth wider. He teased her tongue with the tip of his, drawing it into his mouth and sucking on it gently, before releasing it and thrusting his own tongue back into her mouth._

_After a few moments Klaus released her lips slowly. Her eyes fluttered open and sought out his as Caroline cleared her throat, "That was…"_

_"__You are a glorious kisser." Klaus said._

_A shy smile lit up her face as she stared up at him. She was glad that he seemed to be as affected by the kiss as she was. "You're pretty good yourself."_

_Klaus smiled back at her before he slipped his arm around her waist and gently pulled her towards him. Thinking of his injury, she attempted to stop him. "You're hurt."_

_"__I'm fine," he assured her, "As long as you don't push me away."_

_A low groan escaped her throat and she pulled Klaus closer to her. "Definitely not."_

_"__Good." Klaus breathed before covering her lips with his once more._

**Look at that, you guys got not one but two Klaroline kisses! That will most likely be the last flashback at least for awhile. There's only one or two other significant scenes that I could possibly show and I don't know if they are really necessary.  
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**I hope you liked the seeing them in their wolf forms, it was fun writing them. **


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